CONCLUSION

1

A Change Project to Introduce a Multidisciplinary
Quality Improvement Forum Within a
Rehabilitation Unit St. Jamess Hospital MedEl
Rehabilitation Quality Committee
INTRODUCTION Improving quality of care in a post
acute elderly rehabilitation unit is an important
service goal. The multidisciplinary
rehabilitation team (MDT) of a large Dublin
teaching hospital have an ongoing commitment to
improving service delivery. Previous quality
improvement projects (QIPs) developed among
individual disciplines were invariably difficult
to implement and sustain. Quality improvement
projects which combine multidisciplinary
expertise increases communication, improves
motivation, encourages responsibility,
facilitates commitment among staff and ultimately
delivers high quality services1. The aim of this
change project was to introduce a forum for
healthcare professionals to engage in quality
improvement initiatives within a rehabilitation
unit.

• Planning During the initial meetings terms of
  references were agreed. An idea-generating
  session determined QIPs for the year. A detailed
  plan of each QIP developed including the
  description and scope of the change project,
  objectives, sequence of actions and who was
  responsible, timeframe, performance measures and
  resource requirements.
• Examples include
• Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire
• Rehabilitation Folder
• Stroke Information Sessions
• Implementation A clear implementation plan for
  all staff, including commencement dates and staff
  training was developed.
• Patient satisfaction questionnaire an aphasia
  friendly questionnaire was devised and piloted
  with specific patients. From patient feedback
  sessions the necessary changes were implemented
  and now the MDT are able to monitor patients
  perception of the service they have experienced.
• Rehabilitation Folder all patients on the
  rehabilitation unit now benefit from individual
  rehabilitation folders which include goal plans,
  exercise programmes and condition specific
  leaflets.
• Stroke Information Sessions the MDT now host
  regular information sessions to ensure patients
  and family members have access to relevant,
  specific information on stroke and
  rehabilitation.
• Mainstreaming QIPs have now been integrated
  into established work practices within the unit.
  The rehabilitation team continue to meet on a
  regular basis to ensure each QIP is implemented
  as initially outlined.

METHODOLOGY The HSE Change Model was selected to
facilitate the introduction of the Quality
Improvement Forum. The Model comprises
initiation, planning, implementation and
mainstreaming phases. Results were based on tasks
achieved under each phase of the Model.
HSE Change Model
CONCLUSION The Quality Improvement Forum was
successfully initiated and has implemented a
number of QIPs. An audit of each QIP will be
performed to determine if the initiative is
sustainable in the long term.
RESULTS Initiation the Quality Improvement
Forum was established in November 2012. All
stakeholders within the rehabilitation unit were
approached to partake in the forum. There is
currently involvement from speech and language
therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy,
clinical nutrition, medical social work, nursing,
the medical team and the service user.
REFERENCES 1. HSE 2008. Improving Our Services A
Users Guide to Managing Change in the Health
Service Executive Email Sinead Coleman (Chair)
scoleman_at_stjames.ie